Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of chitosan combined with hypochlorite on the storage quality of citrus fruits (the Beibei 447 cultivar of Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Jincheng), we used chitosan alone and in combination with either sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite to coat the fruits, respectively. Then, the contents of soluble solids, total sugar, total acid, VC, total flavonoids and total phenolics were analyzed every five days during storage. It was found that chitosan was good for maintaining fruit quality and the treated fruits maintained high contents of VC, total phenols and total sugar during storage. In addition, chitosan combined with hypochlorite coating was significantly more effective than chitosan alone and the best effect was obtained using 0.01 g/mL chitosan + 200 mg/L Ca(ClO)2, effectively delaying the deterioration process. The results of this study suggest that chitosan combined with hypochlorite has the potential to maintain the quality and extend the post-harvest storage life of Beibei 447 sweet orange.

Key words: chitosan, hypochlorite, Beibei 447 sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Jincheng), storage quality